Safety

Service

BNSF plays a vital role in our economy’s supply chain, moving freight across our nation every day. Here we explore how our investments and innovations enable the reliable and efficient delivery of freight.

News & Media

Welcome to the BNSF newsroom. Here, you’ll find news releases, customer notifications and media assets available for use by news organizations. Looking for a media contact within BNSF? Get in touch with us using the Media Contacts list on the left.

BNSF Alumni Association

Suppliers

BNSF purchases material and service items from an extensive list of sources. We seek to acquire quality goods and services at the lowest total cost of ownership by working resourcefully, efficiently, effectively and ethically with both current and prospective suppliers.

Supplier Relationship

Diverse Business Enterprise

We are committed to proactively identify, attract and develop long-term partnerships with certified minority, woman and veteran-owned and small disadvantaged businesses, while fulfilling BNSF Vision and Values.

Suppliers

Customers

Notice!The Rail Central and Track Your Shipment applications will be undergoing system maintenance on Thursday, November 15th, from 5:00 PM to 8:00 PM CST. During the maintenance window, Rail Central and Track Your Shipment may be unavailable.

Ship with BNSF

From the materials that help create products people use every day to the actual finished products, our consistent and cost-effective service takes products of any size to customers when and where they need them.

No matter what you're shipping, BNSF has a service to meet your needs.

New to Rail or BNSF?

Rail Development

Are you developing a new facility or looking to expand? You can rely on BNSF’s team of experts to help educate you on the benefits of incorporating our rail network into your supply chain. BNSF’s Economic Development team can help guide you through the process of expanding, developing or selecting a site.

In the Community

For more than 160 years, BNSF Railway has been an essential connector – safely and efficiently transporting freight from point A to point B. But we don't just move freight; we touch people and communities along the way. We're proud to tell our story and how we strive to be a trusted partner worthy of your respect.

Hazardous Materials

Economic Impact

U.S. and global economies rely on rail, and BNSF is a vital link in the global supply chain. We enable our customers to participate in a wide range of markets in North America and around the world. Recognizing our contribution to our nation's economy, we work to listen and respond to customers' needs, maintain strong corporate governance, provide value to investors, and strategically invest to keep our rail network strong.

Tribal Relations

BNSF Railway’s first-in-the-industry Tribal Relations program seeks to build and strengthen ties with the many diverse tribal nations on BNSF’s network, and to foster within BNSF a greater cultural understanding of these tribal nations, their rights and governance, cultural resources, and other crucial issues.

Our People

The people who work at BNSF are the ones who drive the railroad to success. BNSF people are from all areas of the country and have a variety of skills. BNSF is focused on keeping the railroad moving forward, meeting customers' needs and serving the communities where our employees live and work.

Awards & Honors

Contact Us

At BNSF, we are committed to providing you the information you need to make informed transportation decisions. If you would like more information on any of the subjects contained in this section, please feel free to contact us.

Equipment Frequently Asked Questions

What kind of railcar would I use with my commodity?

There is more detailed information on the main Equipment page, but the information below provides an overview of the basic car types.

Boxcars are used when dealing with palletized products, sacked products and other goods that need to be protected from the elements.

Refrigerated boxcars are similar to the regular boxcars, except these cars have refrigerated units on them to keep perishable items at the correct temperatures. These cars are sometimes called reefer cars.

Hoppers come in open top and covered versions. Hoppers have unloading funnels at the bottom of the car. Open tops are used for products like sand, clay, gravel, coal, etc., while closed tops are primary used for grains, sugar, flour and other bulk items that cannot get wet.

Gondolas are similar to open top hoppers, but they do not have a means of unloading from the bottom of the car. Gondolas primarily carry scrap steel, other steel products, lumber or any other product that can be lifted out of a railcar and be exposed to the elements.

Flatcars come in several different varieties and sizes. They are primarily used to haul lumber, machinery, pipe and many other large objects.

Tank cars are tankers used to move liquid products, such as oil, ethanol, biodiesel, chemicals, etc. BNSF does not own tank cars; therefore the customer must obtain these cars through lease or purchase.

How do I register my private railcar equipment?

All private equipment must be registered via the OT5 process that is administered by Railinc. Railinc will be the one-stop-shop to register private equipment that will be utilized on all Class I railroads. To register, you will need your CIF number, proper UMLER information, and the car numbers to be registered.

How do I order an empty railcar?

BNSF offers an internet option that will let you manage all parts of an equipment request for shipments that originate on BNSF. To request an empty BNSF railcar or modify, cancel or receive status on an existing request:

Login to our website and go to the Ship tab.

The first screen displayed to the user is the Summary page option to easily evaluate what next steps need to be taken for the day(s) or weeks to follow.

From the Summary page, the user can view the daily equipment request summary by clicking the group number link.

From the daily equipment request summary link, the user can click the equipment request number to view the details of the empty cars.

The Modify link from the Summary page will now let the user reduce an equipment request below the number of cars applied. This was built in for those customers who needed the ability to change their request(s) as business changes. Accurate demand lets BNSF allocate equipment more efficiently.

To register for access, go to the Registration (needs url) website and click on Register Now.

How do I order a LOGS railcar?

LOGS equipment requests should be placed via electronic Equipment Request on this web site. Once you have been awarded a LOG, you will need to have your Internet equipment request profiles updated to include LOGS-designated equipment types. (Electronic equipment Requests is a requirement for LOGS participation.) If your facility is not already registered for electronic Equipment Request, you can register on the BNSF Registration page.

To register for access, go to the Registration (needs url) website and click on Register Now.

How do I report/reject a car if it is dirty?

To Report A Dirty Car:You will use the upload pictures feature, which allows customers to report and attach up to three photos and comments for each dirty car. Customers may reject each car as dirty and will be assigned another car if within the acceptance window and equipment is available. Pictures may be submitted to report a car that was left dirty even if the car is not rejected.

To Access The Photo Upload Tool:After logging in to bnsf.com, go to the “Application” section. Under the “Manage” tab, click on “Dirty Car Picture Upload.”

How do I load a car safely?

How do I ship a dimensional load?

A shipment qualifies as dimensional if it's over 11 feet wide, and/or over 17 feet tall from the rail. Because the car types are different heights, the actual height for a dimensional shipment can vary. It's important to know if your shipment is dimensional because BNSF must go through many steps to ensure your product can be moved via rail. Read more about dimensional shipments.

How do I become a new customer?

If you are a new customer and your company has never shipped on BNSF before, please fill out our New Customer Application for carload or intermodal.

If your company has shipped with BNSF in the past, and you wish to become a new website user, please register on our website.

Helpful Contacts

Name

Contact

Equipment Support

Tel: 888-428-2673

Territories

Territories are based on customer headquarters location, please locate the corresponding number in the contact list below the map:

Shipping Questions

Our Customer Support team will answer questions about your shipment, including billing, service, etc